Setting goals for a team isn't too challenging -- but setting goals that a team can stick to is. In an interview with Webflow VP of People and veteran OKR program leader Heather Doshay, I learned a few tips for getting OKRs right the first time:
1. Your First OKR should be...Implementing OKRs
Goal setting-programs often fail because no one is making sure that the program is successful. Startups have a million competing priorities at any given time, and the meta-work of setting and sticking to OKRs can easily fall by the wayside.
Designating someone on the team as the OKR champion ensures that the entire program doesn’t end up as an abandoned initiative three weeks into the quarter.
2. Start with a Small Cohort
The purpose of OKRs is to get everyone in the company aligned and working towards a shared goal, but that doesn't mean that you have to start with everyone in the company.
Because one of the first big hurdles of using OKRs is getting the team in the habit of creating and sticking to them every quarter, rolling it out to every person in the organization can end up being an exercise in herding cats. You’ll make mistakes in the beginning, and if your first run of OKRs includes every single person, every little setback can become a major slowdown.
Heather recommends starting with a small group -- either executives or a single team within the org -- to pilot the program. This will help smooth out the bumps and build excitement before you roll it out to the whole team.
3. All Goals are Good Goals to Start -- But Aim High
The truth is, your first OKRs probably aren't going to be the magical, productivity-transforming goals you're hoping they'll be. But that's fine!
Many teams get hung up on creating (and achieving) their ideal goals the first time around. But homing in on the right OKRs for your team can take a bit of trial and error. Be data-driven with your goals wherever you can, but don't be afraid to take a best guess.
The real goal of the first (and sometimes second) round of OKRs is to establish a baseline. It’s okay to under- or overshoot your metrics when you're first getting started, and that failure can provide a lot of very valuable information for your team. That said, ambitious goals breed better results from the team, says Heather:
“Ultimately, the team has no baseline and doesn’t know what’s possible, But by using data and adding a layer of ambition, your team can achieve a healthy mix of being nervous while still being committed to the goal.”
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Check out the rest of the interview here: https://www.heavybit.com/library/blog/best-practices-startup-okrs/
I'd love to hear from folks who have used OKRs successfully in the past (or are on a team using them now). Are there any best practices or tips that make a big difference in getting them to stick?
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